PRSF: The Open Fund for Organisations

Overview

The Open Fund for Organisations supports new music projects led by promoters, talent development organisations, venues, festivals, curators and large performance groups*.

Projects must involve the creation, performance and promotion of new music and enable songwriters, composers, or solo artists, bands, producers and performers of all backgrounds to develop creatively and professionally.

They understand that needs are different given the current creative and career impact the Covid-19 pandemic is having across the music sector. As such they have adapted the Open Fund to be more flexible in supporting music creator development needs.

Support is available to any organisation whose project fits with all three funding priorities:

1. To support the creation, performance and promotion of outstanding new music in any genre
   They are particularly interested in the quality of the music
2. To enable the UK’s most talented music creators to realise their potential
   They are interested in how your project will develop the songwriters and composers involved. They are committed to supporting UK based songwriters and composers of all backgrounds
3. To inspire audiences
   You will be asked to outline who you are reaching and how. This includes audiences at a local, regional, national or international level

Through The Open Fund, they support high quality new music projects which have tangible musical outcomes and a clearly defined start and end date.

What counts as an organisation?

The Open Fund is available to any not-for-profit organisation* based in the UK with an eligible project.

This includes:

• Festivals
• Venues
• Promoters
• Orchestras and large ensembles*
• Talent development or composer development organisations
• Curators

Please note: bands and small musical groups are not considered to be Organisations and should apply as Music Creators

* Large performance groups would include orchestras, choirs, jazz bands or folk groups with 12 or more performers

* they prioritise not-for-profit organisations and tend not to support organisations limited by shares. If you are an organisation limited by shares but there’s a clear funding need for a project that is not profitable, you may be able to apply and should email applications@prsfoundation.com before making an application.

In their role as a specialist new music funder, their priority is to support an exciting range of projects which have clear musical outcomes and tangible benefits for music creators of all genres and backgrounds and at different stages of their career. Decisions may be based on achieving a fair balance of supported projects.

Your work with songwriters and composers is particularly important to us so they will be asking you to tell them about the number of individual music creators you are working with and how your project will boost their creative and professional development, both short-term and long-term. If you are successful with your application, they will also be asking you, when your project is complete, to tell them about the composers and songwriters you are reaching and what they have been able to achieve thanks to your project.

Funding

The Open Fund for Organisations offers grants of up to £10,000.

Their funding includes support of:

• Creation of new music
• Music Creator fee (to cover your time and work)
• Touring and live performances/programming featuring new UK music
• Commissions of new music by UK-based creators
• Music creator residencies
• Recording and release
• Exciting community projects involving high-quality music creators
• Promotion and marketing (when there is also an element of creation and/or performance)

They cannot support core organisational costs, salary costs or living costs. Under their usual guidance they can fund administration costs relating to the project at a maximum of 15% of total budget, however they recognise that flexible support is needed to maintain the sustainability of organisations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an additional section in The Open Fund for Organisations application form should you wish to apply for the additional support, where they will consider an application where 20% of the total budget is allocated to administrative costs, and up to 25% for Festivals and Venues. This is under the condition that all organisations are paying music creators appropriately and that music creator development is not compromised.

Activities they can support:

• projects involving the creation, performance or promotion of new music by living, UK-based music creators (e.g. a commission, residency, education project or tour)
• recording costs
• programmes that strongly feature or are based around new music (e.g. promoting a series of live events featuring outstanding new music, the new music component of a festival programme, artist/composer/talent development programme or multiple commissions)
• equipment/rehearsal space hire if it is an essential part of the project
• administrative costs (e.g. time spent organising the project, letters, printing, stamps)
• development time (e.g. the time it will take the music creator to work on the new material)
• Music Creator fee (to cover your time and work)
• promotional activity/PR costs relating directly to your development as a music creator/the project
• website creation (only if crucial to the promotion of the project)
• music videos when part of wider project activity
• musician fees (we will not fund a project if you do not pay your musicians)
• international activities when part of majority-UK based project (restricted to 30% of grants request)
• contingency (up to 10% of the total project budget)
• concerts, record launches, gigs, tours, installations, festivals and promoters which feature a significant programme of new UK music.

In response to changing music creator needs they will now consider support for the following, all on a case by case basis:

• Funding for live broadcasted or pre recorded online performances through streaming services if this adheres to social distancing rules and is within Government guidance at the time.
• Funding for promotion and marketing that does not involve a live performance, with the condition that a live performance is planned for a later date
• Funding for writing and creation that does not involve a live performance, under the caveat that a live performance (or an online alternative) is planned in the future.
• Due to the current situation we are relaxing our guidance and will allow applicants to apply for equipment of up to 20% of their project budget, however this will be assessed on a case by case basis.
• Music Creator Time / Music Creator Fees – we always encourage applicants to include music creator fees for creation and expect during the pandemic that more applicants will include fees for their own time and work. This might help you to cover or contribute to the time you put into the creation of new music, to cover professional losses or costs relating to working from home.^
• ^Because there is no music sector-wide standard, we are unable to offer guidance on a suitable daily or hourly rate for music creator fees. However, we encourage you to ensure a fair proportion of your costs are allocated to music creator fees where possible. PRS Foundation staff will ensure that our external advisors approach decisions in a consistent way across all genres, challenging the ‘norm’ that Contemporary Classical applicants receive music creator fees and those working in other genres do not.

Who can apply?

UK-based:

• organisations that are limited by guarantee and/or a registered Charity
• music creators or their representatives
• individuals and sole traders
• CIC organisations
• non-music organisations including local authorities, museums, etc.